January 13, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
Ex-OPBF 108-pound champ Shingo Yamaguchi (20-4-2, 7 KOs), 111.5, decked an important comebacking victory as he defeated WBA#11/WBC#15 light-fly Junichi Ebisuoka (14-9-3, 6 KOs), 111.5, by an expectedly one-sided decision (97-94, 100-93 and 100-92) over ten on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
Yamaguchi, a busy speedster, had failed to win the WBC 108-pound belt from Korean Yosam Choi via tenth round TKO in 2002, and forfeited his OPBF 108-pound belt to Takahisa Masuda on points in his fourth defense in 2005. Since then, Yamaguchi was inactive for nine months and recently came back to the ring warfare only to score a couple of unimpressive decision wins. Ebisuoka, a taller and harder puncher, entered the WBA top ten by scoring an come-from-behind stoppage of ex-WBA champ Pichitnoi Sithbangprachan in 2005, and fought to a split draw with WBA#7 world-rated Mobuaki Masuda in a quest of the Japanese national belt in April of the previous year.
Yamaguchi made a good start by outhustling the upright hard-puncher Ebisuoka in the first two rounds. Ebisuoka, a slow starter with poor defensive skills, absorbed many light punches from the more experienced veteran, though he occasionally landed a favorite right uppercut at a time and failed to follow up with more combinations. Yamaguchi kept moving to-and-fro and whipped the stiff puncher with busier combos to carry himself to a convincing victory.
Surprisingly unranked Kazuyuki Ichikawa (9-1-2, 3 KOs), 118, was awarded a split decision (59-57, 58-57 and 57-58) over OPBF#5 ranked Filipino bantam champ Michael Domingo (30-16-3, 14 KOs), 118, over six. Domingo, who had previously shown a very good performance against unbeaten WBA#2 feather Jorge Linares here, was sluggish and slow from the start to be unable to display his usual zip.
Unbeaten Japan-based New Yorker Charles Bellamy (3-0, 2 KOs), 145.5, exploded a devastating right to flatten Filipino #10 welter Judy Noda (8-5-2, 6 KOs), 143.75, with a thud at 1:12 of the second round in a scheduled six.
Philippine top ranked feather Michael Farenas (14-2-2, 12 KOs), 125, won a lopsided decision over Takuro Matsubara (8-7-5, 5 KOs), 126, over four.
Hard-punching Japanese #8 super-welter Akihiro Furukawa (9-0-1, 7 KOs), 159.25, a Rocky Graziano stylist, badly dropped Jun Ito (8-4, 6 KOs), 159.5, with wild swings twice en route to a quick stoppage at 1:34 of the opening canto in a scheduled six. Furukawa can really punch, but his durability has yet to be tested.
Promoter: Tokashiki Promotions.
(1-13-07)